Adventures of Eternity
by ReunitedLight
Summary: Anakin is back from the dark! Join him in the afterlife as he journeys with friends, confronts old enemies and victims, and travels to planets around the galaxy! It's a little dramatic, a bit funny, and written to give Anakin an ending I could believe in. If you have any ideas for adventures please let me know!
1. Reunited

Anakin was home at last. Ever since he'd appeared on Endor to his son, Luke, he knew that Obi-Wan was super mad at him. That warm smile? All fake. And Anakin knew he was about to get it when he faded away into the afterlife.

As soon as Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda were no longer visible to Luke and Leia, and as soon as Yoda left them, Obi-Wan's smile faded. "Glad you're back, ANAKIN," Obi-Wan blurted out sarcastically. "It's nice to see that you fulfilled the prophecy."

Anakin grinned. "Moihoihoi! As much as I regret everything I've done, I think we should talk about a particular day." His expression changed. "A day that I call MUSTAFAR."

"By the way, Mustafar is a planet, not a day," Obi-Wan corrected. "You were on the dark side, not me. Should I mention that you, um, KILLED me?"

By this time Anakin was not even listening. Staring up at the sky, Anakin squeezed his eyes shut and screamed, "PADMÉ!" A bunch of random spirits around Obi-Wan and Anakin stared wonderingly. And then they started whispering.

"Wait, that's the guy who killed his own wife!"

"That's the guy who's under the suit thingy. He's uglier than I thought!"

"Who's he shouting about? Padamamé? Panda bear? Whaaaaat?"

Their whispers stopped when a really pretty lady walked through the crowds. She wore a blue dress and had a japor snippet around her neck. She also had WAY too much hair. The curls trailed down her back and floated in a halo around her head.

Anakin was still screaming when the lady tapped him on the shoulder. Anakin kept screaming.

"PPPPPPPAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDMMMMMM- what?" Anakin turned around and stared at the lady. They locked eyes for a moment.

"Ani…" Padmé grabbed her husband's shoulder. "You're home at last."

Anakin blinked. "Padmé," he said, "Words cannot express how sorry I am. I believed I was doing things for the greater good, but now… I really regret everything."

Padmé's chocolate eyes were glossy at this point. "Ani, I never betrayed you. But I'm so glad you came back to the light side. Every time I saw you take off your mask-"

Obi-Wan decided to interfere at this point. "Under his mask! Like he was bald, and looked old, and like he had billions of scars. And his eyebrows were GONE! I mean like seriously." Padmé looked surprised, but she started to laugh along with Obi-Wan.

Anakin's eyebrows were back in the afterlife, though, so you could tell he was frowning. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Ahem. Obi-Wan is the reason for all that. Also I wasn't old. Obi-Wan lived to be 57! But I died at 46! So, old man, you ain't gonna call me old! Plus I'm 23 right now in the afterlife and you are still 57!"

Obi-Wan stared at him, drool pouring out of his mouth. He slurped it back in and paused for a moment. He wiped his beard on his sleeve. "End of rant? Okay. But, before you were screaming about Padamamé here I said you killed me. So say sorry!"

"Sorry." Anakin smiled sickly and put an arm around Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan smiled. "YAHOO!" He shouted. "Anakin apologized! And since I'm a forgiving man, I will tell him that it's OKAY when it ISN'T!"

Anakin nodded enthusiastically, and that was when he noticed his arm. "Wait a minute… this arm is still mechanical!"

Obi-Wan and Padmé exchanged a glance. Padmé gulped. "Uh. Anakin, you are stupider than I've ever seen before! Don't you realize it was that way when you were 23?"

But Anakin had not finished his rant. "Cool! Now I can play with you again!" Anakin took his arm and held it close. "Oh, little Mechno-Armie, I've missed you so much." He took off the glove and kissed the metal.

Padmé yelled, "YOU CHEATED ON ME?!"

"No, my love," Anakin comforted her. "Don't you remember I loved you more than I loved my Mechno-Arm? Also you knew that I loved him and you were okay with it when you were alive! Also, I thought that it was clear how much I love you."

"Wow Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured, "I didn't realize that you and your arm had gotten so CLOSE to each other! Awwwwww."

Anakin glared at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan glared at Anakin.

Obi-Wan pointed out, "I know what you're trying to do. But since you chose the light side of the Force in the end, you can't exactly make your eyes yellow again."

"Darn!" Anakin yelled, grabbing his lightsaber and turning it on. "Darn!" he said again, noticing that it was blue and not red. "Well, it's the Jedi way though."

Padmé said, "You're lucky to have a lightsaber, you know. Only force ghosts can have them. Not real ghosts. We just have blasters."

"Hey," Anakin said, noticing their surroundings. "We're on that terrace place on Naboo, overlooking Lake Varykino!"

Obi-Wan snorted. "It's also the place where you told Padmé you didn't like sand."

Anakin looked at Padmé and then at Obi-Wan. He was horrified and humiliated, and tears ran down his face already. "How…" he sobbed. "How did you know this?"

Padmé put an arm around Anakin's waist. "It's okay, love," she soothed. "It's a beautiful sentence you said all those years ago. It's one of the reasons why I kissed you!"

Obi-Wan looked at Padmé like she was crazy. "That is honestly one of the worst love lines I have ever heard."

Anakin smirked at Obi-Wan. "The most priceless time for you, my friend, is when Duchess Satine Kryze stroked the beard and told you 'I'm not so sure about the beard'." He pointed at "the beard" which was now white, and laughed uncontrollably.

Obi-Wan sighed. "But you're still the one who said the sand thing. I didn't say the beard thing. Plus, what's wrong with it?"

Anakin and Padmé were kissing when he said this. But as soon as they heard him ask them about the beard, they collapsed to the ground in laughter. "Everything!"


	2. Welcome Home

Anakin and Padmé looked around the balcony for a few hours, noting places where they stood before and places where they said embarrassing things. It took so long that Obi-Wan fell asleep on the bench.

As soon as Anakin and Padmé were done looking at the balcony for old times' sake, Obi-Wan woke up. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and rasped, "Are we done here? Also, Anakin, we're not just gonna travel around the galaxy and stay in random places, right? We need a home. Do you know one?"

Anakin was overwhelmed about all of the questions, so Padmé answered them instead. "Well, I know a home. We can stay in our apartment back on Coruscant. Remember that, Ani?" she asked.

Padmé's melodic voice was enough to clear Anakin's mind. "I remember. And Obi-Wan: Yes, we're done here." Anakin's face formed a grim expression. "Padmé, I know we loved the fireplace, but we are going to have to abandon that because I DON'T LIKE FIRE. It's SCARY."

"Fear leads to the dark side," Obi-Wan repeated for the hundredth or thousandth time. He paused for a moment and thought. "Oh wait, you already went there."

"Where?" Anakin asked. "Mustafar?"

Obi-Wan used a wrinkled hand to smack his wrinkled face. "NO! Whatever, you won't understand."

Everyone was starting to get really tired of Obi-Wan Kenobi's annoying oldness. Anakin, Padmé, and a few people strolling by stopped to notice Obi-Wan's oldness. They pointed and laughed until Obi-Wan shouted, "Enough!"

"Anger leads to the dark side, Master," Anakin pointed out, "And since you haven't been there before I suggest you don't go there now. I abandoned it already but it WILL be too cool and awesome for your boring personality and you'll faint."

"Yeah, yeah," Obi-Wan shrugged and waved his hands in Anakin's face. "Did you know that I can become young and that this disgusting oldness was for Luke's sake?" A bright light seemed to flow through Obi-Wan, and his face and body magically turned young again!

"Great!" Anakin grinned. "Padmé, why do you have all of that hair?" he asked, noticing her hair for the first time.

Memories seemed to resurface and Padmé's usually pretty face reddened. She frowned. "After you KILLED me, Anakin, they put a bunch of curly hair in my coffin. And I liked the blue dress I had on when I died, so I haven't bothered to change it."

Anakin exhaled for about ten seconds. Then he toyed with Padmé's curls and arranged for a haircut that would occur as soon as they arrived on Coruscant.

Obi-Wan noticed that he didn't have a ship. Padmé offered, "Come in mine. The one that you stowed away in and landed on Mustafar…"

Anakin collapsed to the ground.

Obi-Wan shouted, "What!?"

Anakin rolled onto his back and shook his fists at the sky. "I'M SORRY!"

Padmé smiled. "I guess his guilt is finally invading his mind. Don't worry, Obi-Wan, we'll have plenty of this when we reach Coruscant."

Obi-Wan picked up Anakin's shaking form and they found Padmé's ship just as they remembered it. Anakin forgot all about his guilt and offered to pilot with Padmé by his side and Obi-Wan sitting in the back.

They were in hyperspace when Obi-Wan asked, "Anakin, as Darth Vader, how exactly did you pilot with mechanical hands? I mean literally. And how did you WALK? Honestly when I found out you were alive, I went nuts!"

Anakin replied, "I don't know. It required lots of focus and nonstop training. Like it was really hard and I fell a lot and it was uncomfortable, and then when I removed my mask in that hyperbaric chamber my knees were horribly sore because that's the place where they drilled these mechanical limbs into my bones without anesthesia, and FORCE that was painful-"

"ENOUGH!" Obi-Wan yelled. "Padmé's going to know about all of that horrible stuff I did to you. You did all of that bad stuff because you were a Sith Lord, but I have no excuse. And as a Jedi, I should not be blamed!"

"You know, Obi-Wan," Padmé said. "I was so sad after my death that I had nothing to do but watch Anakin through the life portal. So I know EVERYTHING about your treachery."

The rest of the trip continued like this until they reached Coruscant. They landed at the place where Captain Typho said, "I guess there was no danger at all." And Captain Typho was there when they landed!

Anakin descended the ramp and shook hands with Typho. "I'm so sorry I killed you," he said.

Typho shrugged. "How was I to know that you killed Padmé and that you were Skywalker? I mean I thought you killed both of them. Wow, I was stupid. So it's fine." He smiled at Anakin. "Let me escort you three to the apartment."

When they reached the apartment, Anakin looked at the Senate Building and thought of Darth Sidious. "Is Darth Sidious here?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No way. Those who committed more atrocities than good deeds are doomed to spend their afterlife in a place so far from here no one knows where it is."

By this time, Padmé had found Anakin's Padawan braid in a box. "Look here! You know, Anakin, ever since I came here I kissed this braid."

"Why?" Anakin and Obi-Wan asked. Anakin was somewhat horrified and embarrassed.

"Well, since you have over 20,000 midi-chlorians per cell, I thought that if I let the cells enter my mouth I might become force-sensitive from the midi-chlorians!"

Anakin frowned. "You can't do that I think."

Padmé started sobbing. "WHAT? That means I've kissed a bunch of hair strands for no reason for 23 years?"

"Yes," Anakin smiled. "Well," he said, looking around the room, "Welcome home."

Obi-Wan looked around too until he noticed he didn't have anywhere to sleep.


	3. The Jedi Temple

"I don't have anywhere to sleep," Obi-Wan pointed out. "You guys have been like a married couple here, and I didn't know. So now you'll have to make room for me." He sighed. "Oh, it's so hard being the third wheel!"

"Tell that to Satine," Anakin joked. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

Padmé interrupted, "Yes, Obi-Wan. Um, you can sleep on the couch bed in the living room if that's okay."

"We'll upgrade your bed as soon as you have someone to sleep with," Anakin joked again. This time, Obi-Wan slapped himself in the face.

Obi-Wan plopped himself on the couch and looked out the window. "Hey," Obi-Wan said, "There's the Jedi Temple!"

Anakin frowned. "How exactly are you JUST pointing this out? I thought you'd been dead for, who knows, 4 years or so?"

"I'm a force ghost. I didn't come here until you turned to the light side."

"By the way, is there any way we can go to the Jedi Temple?" Anakin asked. "I kind of have thousands of people to apologize to, so…"

Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's left arm. "Let's goooooooo!"

Padmé did not want to hear any more banter between the two friends. "I will stay home. Come back as soon as you can though!" she instructed.

So Anakin and Obi-Wan got into a speeder and went to the Jedi Temple. Anakin had been to Coruscant a lot during his time as Darth Vader, and shared all of the boring stories and boring people he had encountered with Obi-Wan. Upon reaching the Jedi Temple, Mace Windu stood there in a clean robe, hands clasped behind his back, followed by a bunch of younglings.

Anakin made eye contact with Mace and his face reddened. "Master Windu."

Mace Windu said nothing. A small youngling pointed out, "Here we do not call anyone 'Master' anymore. It's too hard. Plus, we're all force ghosts!"

Anakin paused. "Mace Windu."

Mace paused. "Anakin Skywalker. How… nice to see you."

Anakin gulped nervously. "Um, I'm sorry for doing the whole hand thing, as well as bringing down the Republic and killing the Jedi, it was wrong and I killed Sidious." He shuffled his feet. "Hope that's enough for you to go with. As Darth Vader I kinda tried to forget what had happened, and I succeeded, so that's all I remember. I hope you like your mechanical hand. I really like mine!"

Mace sighed. "Apology accepted," he replied crisply. "You are the Chosen One. Now we see that." Mace took out his mechanical hand. "On the other hand, FORCE DID YOU HEAR THAT PUN, I like my hand. It's nice. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!"

Anakin giggled at the pun. Putting out his hand, he asked, "Truce?"

Mace took it. "Truce. Cheers to awesome mechanical hands!"

Anakin giggled again and looked at the younglings he had murdered. "Yes, I was sick in the mind," he said. "Honestly, I don't even know how I did that. Let's put this behind us."

The youngling who had said, "Master Skywalker" stepped up and looked at Anakin's eyes. "You truly were a creepy guy. We trusted you! But, if you are nice to us for the next 50 years and give us candy, we may put this behind us." His frown appeared. "Thanks to you I will never grow up or get married. It is a shame!"

Anakin expected them to throw their lightsabers at him, not talk to him. He shook the youngling's hand. "I am so sorry. Hopefully we can find a way to let you guys age into adulthood. Ah," Anakin stated, waving at the city around them. "The wonders of puberty!"

Mace nodded. "The younglings are not as quick to forgive, as child abuse is a big and horrible crime in the Afterlife Republic. Unfortunately, you killed Sidious, so we cannot imprison you. Your good deeds somehow outweigh the bad, I guess. Are you willing to become a Jedi again?"

Anakin thought for a moment. "Sure."

Mace pointed at Anakin. "You must reject the dark side and renounce your past. Are you willing to do this?"

Anakin frowned. "YES! I told you this already!"

Mace shrugged. "No you didn't. By the way, in order to Knight you, you must revert to your form as a Padawan."

Anakin did so. When the bright light thingy had passed through him, he looked like a disgusting 19 year old again. "Ugh!" he growled, smelling himself. "I was really like this before! Horrible! How could Padmé stand to marry me in this form?"

Then Yoda ran up to him. "Lie down," he said sternly. Anakin could see that the green Jedi was young. He had no wrinkles and he sprouted a nice crop of lustrous brown hair.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Uh, this isn't exactly the correct Jedi ritual?"

Yoda said nothing. He raised his green lightsaber and flung it at Anakin. "Flinch, you must not," Yoda instructed. He was right. The lightsaber cut the braid clean off.

Anakin sighed and turned himself back into a 23 year old. He held the braid in his hand. "Padmé will love this."

"By the way," Yoda added, "A Jedi Master you have become. Returned from the dark side you have, so become a Jedi Master we thought you should."

Anakin's eyes widened. "WHAT!" He went nuts. "OH MY GOODNESS! I'M FINALLY A MASTER! NOW I CAN LOOK IN THE SECRET ARCHIVES AND FIND OUT HOW TO SAVE PADMÉ-"

Obi-Wan, watching this entire affair, slapped Anakin's shoulder. "It's too late. No one can die here y'know."

Anakin jumped up and down. "I DON'T CARE! I CAN STILL DO IT! YAHOOOOOOO!" he said. The younglings looked at Anakin, concerned.

"Don't worry, younglings," Obi-Wan comforted them. "This is what happens when Anakin comes back from the dark side. He's been like this for a long time. Hopefully he will return to a sober state soon."

Anakin ran for his speeder and zoomed away without Obi-Wan, heading in the direction of Padmé's apartment, super excited to tell her the good news.


	4. A Heartfelt Speech

Anakin had never been one to follow the law in terms of speeder driving, so it took him mere minutes to reach Padmé's apartment. Padmé was sipping a bowl of hoi-broth when Anakin had entered the room. Padmé thought that Obi-Wan and Anakin would be out much longer, and had not anticipated Anakin's return.

 _Huh. Now Anakin's probably going to tell me about how the Council expelled him for his failures. But that's good, now we can be a family,_ she thought to herself. Her thoughts took a turn. _I can't believe I used to hate hoi-broth! It's pretty tasty now._

"PADMÉ! I'M A JEDI MASTER NOW!" Anakin shouted as he barged into the living room. His voice grew soft. "I can finally save you now."

Padmé frowned in disbelief. "A master? Er, I thought you were going to be expelled. But, Anakin, you're a bit late in the saving department. I'm already dead because of you."

Anakin sat down beside her and put his head in his hands. "Don't remind me." He looked at the hoi-broth. "I thought you hated hoi-broth. Why are you eating it now?"

Padmé set the bowl of hoi-broth on the table and exhaled loudly, the smell of hoi-broth getting into Anakin's face. "I'm not sure. Pregnancy hormones? Although I'm no longer pregnant, I died after giving birth, so the cravings stayed with me."

Anakin squirmed on the couch as he smelled the scent of Padmé's breath infused with hoi-broth. This was when Padmé noticed that Obi-Wan was not there. "Where is Obi-Wan?" she asked.

Anakin's eyes widened. "I forgot to bring him back from the Jedi Temple…"

Padmé slapped Anakin's shoulder. "Really Anakin? After all you've done to Obi-Wan you just have to LEAVE HIM BEHIND at the Jedi Temple, huh? Do you really think this was the best thing to do?"

Anakin bit his lip. The craziness he had experienced earlier was ebbing away and true guilt at his actions was starting to form. "No," he answered quietly. Then he burst into tears.

Padmé was horrified. "There, there," she said as she patted him. "I'm sorry for saying that. I love you, you know."

"I know."

"Can you do something for me?" Padmé asked.

"What?"

"Get on the veranda and yell something to the public. That would be fun."

"Yes! And all those times before when you told me I couldn't because we were hiding our marriage. That would be great."

Anakin and Padmé walked to the veranda. Anakin looked down. There were like billions of people down there and he was going to talk to them!

"HELLO." Anakin said as loud as he could. The civilians down below looked up and he could see crowds gathering at random places, looking out windows and stuff. He didn't know how his voice was so loud, but it was better not to ask. "MY NAME IS ANAKIN SKYWALKER. I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE A HEARTFELT SPEECH. WHATEVER. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ME AND PADMÉ AMIDALA ARE MARRIED! THIS HAS BEEN MY DREAM FOR YEARS. SO JUST TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND KNOW THAT WE ARE MARRIED." Anakin stepped down.

"HELLO." Padmé said. "YEP. WE'RE MARRIED. AND I KNOW I AM BEING UNPROFESSIONAL AS A SENATOR, BUT ALTHOUGH THIS GUY WAS A ONE-TIME SITH LORD, HIS GOOD DEEDS OUTWEIGH THE BAD, SO YEAH. I'VE BEEN HIS WIFE FOR LIKE OVER 20 YEARS NOW. THANKS FOR LISTENING AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT!" Padmé and Anakin stepped down from the veranda, arms around each other.

"That was real good," Anakin laughed. "Good to get the past behind me I guess."

"I'm glad you're not nuts anymore, Anakin," Padmé told him. When you first came here, everyone was saying all sorts of creepy things. But it's good we're not doing that anymore. Let's go to bed."

Anakin happily noticed that Padmé had forgotten all about Obi-Wan. Smiling to himself, Anakin took his wife and they went to sleep together for the first time in many years.

It rained that night, but Anakin and Padmé didn't care. By the way, Anakin didn't have any nightmares. It seems pretty obvious by now that nightmares are not good for people like him.

In the morning, Anakin woke up early to see Obi-Wan shivering and splayed out on the couch bed. Obi-Wan's bathrobe-looking Jedi robe was soaked, and his hair was wet. "WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS HAPPENED HERE!" Anakin shouted to no particular person.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes. "Um, you left me in the Jedi Temple. I went to sleep there and completely forgot about you and how I was going to live with you now. So I woke up, it was pouring, and I stole a Jedi Temple speeder and came here. Your door was locked, so I had to land on the landing pad and climb all the way up to the balcony and that took about a few hours. I was climbing around your window and saw you and your wife sleeping in bed. I was devastated to know you had forgotten about me, but I finally made it in." Obi-Wan's lips were blue and frozen. "So yeah, it was dumb but I really thought I could get here in no time at all. Quite an adventure."

Anakin's jaw dropped. "Uh, sorry Obi-Wan."

"We are so sorry!" Padmé appeared behind Anakin suddenly. "I had forgotten all about you, if you don't mind me saying so." She noticed she had left the old hoi-broth on the table. "I am so sorry about leaving the hoi-broth there. I sincerely hope you ate it."

Obi-Wan grimaced. "I'm allergic."

Anakin gulped. "It's true, Padmé. Obi-Wan is officially allergic to hoi-broth." He turned to Obi-Wan. "Grab a few heaters for yourself. You can use the refresher connected to this room."

Obi-Wan smiled as he remembered something. "By the way, I heard that little speech of yours. You guys really wanted to shout it from the rooftops, huh?"

Anakin and Padmé smiled at each other. "We've been dreaming about it ever since we got married," they said together, and laughed merrily.

Obi-Wan grinned. "Cool, I guess."


	5. Dreading Sand

Padmé took one strand of hair and twirled it around her finger absentmindedly. Anakin looked at her huge halo of hair and noticed that she had a hair appointment! He knew it was kind of a dumb thing to worry about, but it was getting tiring, looking at all of that hair.

"You know, Padmé," Anakin said, "You've got a hair appointment here on Coruscant. But, do you think that since this is the Afterlife Republic maybe you can just wish away your hair?"

"No," Padmé said. "It won't. I'll contact my handmaidens right away. They took care of my hair in life, and that is what I want them to do now." She grabbed her comlink. "Hello?"

"Hello Padmé," A female voice said from the other end. "This is Rabé. Have you finally decided to actually get your hair done?"

Padmé smiled. Rabé had been in charge of her hairstyles when she was a queen. "Yes, Rabé. Anakin tells me you're here on Coruscant and that he has made a hair appointment with you."

Rabé paused for a moment. Her voice rang out of the comlink as she replied, "Yes, Anakin has, but it was for right after you arrived on Coruscant. Since you didn't come yesterday I had to cancel the appointment. I'm afraid I'm meeting Cordé and a few other friends on Tatooine just for the fun of heading to Tatooine's famous Mos Eisley Cantina. If you come, I'm sure everyone would _love_ to see you. It's tomorrow."

Anakin grimaced. He hated Tatooine as much as he hated sand, because of all of his horrid past experiences there.

Padmé could tell Anakin was uneasy, but she confirmed, "Yes, I'd love to come, just for the sake of old times. Would you mind if Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi came too?"

Anakin prayed to the Force that Rabé would decline, but in reality, Rabé said, "Of course! It would be a pleasure!"

Padmé smiled. "Well. I'll see you there! Bye!" she told Rabé, and then cut the connection.

Anakin's face was bright as the lava on Mustafar, and he fumed. "PADMÉ. I do NOT want to go to TATOOINE! Does ANYONE know how PAINFUL that place is for me?" He yelled, taking a couch pillow and throwing it so far that it went passed the balcony and fell to the streets.

Obi-Wan pointed out, "It's actually going to be good for him. To finally let go of his past? To potentially see friends and family? Great idea!"

Anakin's lips hardened and he said nothing.

Padmé put a hand on his shoulder as he sat down, but a mechanical hand shoved it off. "I'm sorry for doing this, Anakin," Padmé apologized, "But this is just what you need. If you just reconcile with the planet, we can finally leave a part of our past behind…"

"I'll go." Anakin's voice cracked.

"I can sense your worry about this issue, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "But what Padmé has said is definitely correct. Please see our point of view. Don't let your fear consume you."

Anakin erupted in laughter. "'Don't let your fear consume you'? Wow, Obi-Wan, I'm in shock." He grimaced again as he remembered Tatooine. "It'll be hard, but I'm in."

Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan boarded the Naboo skiff. Again, Anakin piloted. Tatooine was in the Outer Rim, so it was sort of far away.

"Your son, Luke, really hated Tatooine as well," Obi-Wan told Anakin as they traveled through hyperspace.

"I'm glad. I like Luke a lot. He redeemed me. I hope he's happy, wherever he is."

"Are you still anxious about seeing the sand planet again?"

"Don't remind me."

Obi-Wan could sense Anakin's anxiety through the Force. Anakin was so worried that his piloting was not as good as it used to be, and their ship shuddered a bit as it entered the atmosphere of Tatooine and as it landed near the cantina.

Anakin looked out of the window. He saw all of the sand and his head started pounding. _The sand_ , he thought. _It goes on forever…_ The sand proved to be far too much for him and he blacked out.

Padmé squealed in fear as she saw his body tumble to the floor. "Alert!" she shouted as she ran into the cantina. "My husband fainted in my ship!" She caught the eye of a middle-aged man with brown hair with his wife. "Please," she begged the couple, "Come help me."

For some reason the man looked at her with obvious distrust. "Fine," he said. His voice was gruff. "Wait here and I'll be back with some water from my moisture farm." His wife, a woman with blondish hair, stayed with them. They said nothing to each other. They waited.

When the man was back, he had a small bucket of water. "Thank you," Padmé said.

Obi-Wan dragged Anakin's limp body out of the ship and laid it out on the sand. The man and his wife gasped for reasons unknown when they saw him, but Padmé didn't notice. She dumped the bucket of water on Anakin's face and he woke up.

"Where am I..." he awoke and looked around. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed. "SAND!" A few people in the cantina looked up at him questioningly. Anakin jumped up, brushed the sand off of himself, and ran back into his ship. When Obi-Wan followed him, he could see that Anakin was terrified and shivering with disgust.

"Wow, who knew you hated sand so much," Obi-Wan teased. "It's over now, get up and go face Padmé and the cantina and Tatooine," he said much more seriously.

"No…" Anakin shivered. "The sand, it's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere…" He shook himself. "No. I won't go out there!"

"Anakin-" Obi-Wan grabbed his hand.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Anakin yelped. "Oh please no!"

"Anakin, did you visit Tatooine as Darth Vader?" Obi-Wan asked.

"YES! But that was only because Sidious wanted me to… and I was basically emotionless back then…"

"Anakin, those are just excuses. Now, as your former master, I am demanding you to get up and go out there!"

Anakin reluctantly stood up. "No..." he whispered, and shook himself. "Fine."


	6. Sobbing Loudly

Obi-Wan managed to drag Anakin out of the ship, where the man and woman who had helped him earlier were standing. Padmé gave Anakin a reassuring glance, and Anakin returned a stone-hard one. He was determined to not think about the sand.

He looked at the man and woman for a few moments, and found himself thinking of his mother's death. He struggled to push those memories aside, when he discovered that he KNEW who the man was as well as the woman!

"Owen, Beru," Anakin nodded at them. Owen tried to smile at his step-brother but failed miserably.

Padmé's mouth dropped open. It hurt, and Padmé rubbed her jawbone to soothe it. "Goodness!" she said. "Owen and Beru. My, I did not recognize you! However, Anakin has. Why, is there a reason you found it unimportant to tell me who you were?" Padmé's words were a bit harsh, but she said them very lightly.

Beru frowned, thinking of how it was Darth Vader himself who ordered their property to be burned, and them with it. Owen could tell she was nervous, so he answered snottily, "I suppose you did not know that it was your precious husband who ordered us killed, then."

Obi-Wan sighed loudly, which made everyone turn their heads to acknowledge him.

Owen turned on Obi-Wan. "And the old wizard, Ben Kenobi!" he said, frowning. "It is your fault that you had to take Luke on some dangerous escapade with you. Although Luke became somewhat a hero…" He rubbed his unshaven chin thoughtfully.

Obi-Wan sighed again. "It's Obi-Wan. Luke has saved the galaxy, redeeming his father, blowing up the Death Star, doing heroic stuff..." He sighed yet another time. "You know, I don't appreciate being called an old wizard, either."

Anakin decided to intervene. "Thanks for raising him well, by the way."

Anakin could not tell if Beru's face brightened with pride or with anger, but she said, "Thanks for killing us too, by the way."

Anakin bit his lip. "I know it was wrong, but what can I say? Well, I can say that as Darth Vader, I hated my past. There was this time where I was sent to the Jedi Temple by Sidious, and I definitely freaked out. I knew that I could not return to Naboo or Tatooine ever again (although I did). But the lesson here is that my past was not a good thing to remember, and that at the time I felt you guys to have done the wrong thing. But it was me who did the wrong thing, and I'm sorry."

Owen and Beru were speechless but still kind of mad. "Apology accepted, for now," Beru said, "but your actions will speak louder than words."

"Thank you!" Anakin smiled widely at everyone, but no one smiled back. He thought for a moment, knowing a lot of his past on Tatooine was about his mother, and decided he wanted to see her. "I would really like it if you guys could show me where my mother was," he requested softly as the memories washed over him.

"Okay," Owen replied, "She's living on our property with Dad, um, I mean Cliegg Lars."

Padmé grinned and put an arm around Anakin. "We'll finally be able to see the person who you've missed for so long," she whispered into his ear. He turned and lifted a trembling hand to touch her cheek.

"I know," he whispered back. He shook himself. "I have to prepare myself," he told everyone. "I also kind of want to see my old slave master, just to test myself."

Obi-Wan smiled so widely it looked like his grin was too big for his face. "Finally, Anakin!" He yelled and slapped his former Padawan on the back. "Thinking about the Light is a perfect to make amends with the past!"

Anakin looked at his former Master. "Don't be so sure, Obi-Wan," he said. "I hate Watto so much, but it's for the greater good. He'll also call me 'Little Ani'. I hate that too. I hate everything about him!"

"You know, Ani," Padmé decided, "Maybe it's best you don't see Watto at all yet…" her voice trailed off.

"I guess so," Anakin replied.

Owen and Beru looked at Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé in shock. "Looks like people are being weirdly emotional today," Owen pointed out gruffly. "Also, the banter is REAL!"

The group climbed into Owen's disgusting old speeder, and they went all the way to their moisture farm. Anakin closed his eyes the whole time, overwhelmed by the vast expanses of sand and the past that he didn't want to remember at all.

Padmé, who thought Anakin was asleep, prodded him when they reached the farm. "WHAT?" Anakin yelled at once. Then, remembering that he had to watch himself when around Padmé (both of them would never forget about the events on Mustafar), he softened a bit when he saw her face. And then he looked up.

His beloved mother was there. She looked fairly young, looking the way she did when Anakin was a mere toddler. She was dressed in her work clothes and had a kind smile on her face.

"Mom!" Anakin gasped, and jumped out of the speeder and ran over to his mother, embracing her so tight that he couldn't breathe. Padmé felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched the over-emotional but somewhat _right_ reunion for Anakin and his mother.

Anakin looked at his mother, who regarded him with loving eyes. "-You," she said.

Anakin was confused. "What?"

Shmi smiled and said, "Remember my last words? Now, I am finally able to finish them." she looked down and started sobbing loudly.

Anakin started sobbing loudly.

Soon everyone on the property was sobbing loudly.

They were sobbing loudly and embracing each other for a few hours, tears dripping onto the sand so that Owen, Beru, and Cliegg could moisture farm them.

When everyone was done sobbing loudly, Cliegg Lars invited everyone to a delicious meal with roasted Bantha on the table.


	7. Fateful Decision

Anakin slammed his cup of blue milk down on the table. "Thanks for the delicious Bantha, Cliegg," he said warmly.

Shmi smiled at him. "Oh Ani, you're so polite."

Owen rolled his eyes and shot Obi-Wan a glance, and they both giggled softly.

Cliegg stood up, his legs having been granted back to him upon death, and announced, "Well, our dinner's over. There are a few guest rooms over there, feel free to split them as you wish."

Shmi kissed Anakin on the cheek and headed off to her bedroom with Cliegg. Anakin took Padmé's hand and they went to a guest bedroom in a similar fashion.

Looking around the room, he noticed a lot of toy starfighters on the counters and plenty of mechanical parts. Sitting on the cot next to Padmé, he noted softly, "Luke."

Padmé blinked and looked at him, and Anakin was disheartened to see that there were unshed tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Padmé. I miss him too." Anakin sighed heavily.

Padmé exhaled and took one of the model starfighters in her delicate hands. "I never got to meet him. When will I ever get the opportunity, Anakin? When?"

"I don't know." Anakin stood up. "Obi-Wan is in the next room. I was going to talk to him tonight about… something. You can come if you want." He held his hand out to her, but she didn't take it.

"So much has happened, Anakin," she breathed softly. "I… want to think about a few things."

Anakin nodded, his mouth tight, and he stepped out of the room. Obi-Wan was taking off his cloak in the next room, and upon sensing Anakin's distorted emotions, he beckoned to the cot. "I know you're here to talk about something."

Anakin grabbed his left flesh arm with his right mechanical one. "Mustafar," he said simply as he took a seat. He looked over at Obi-Wan, who was rubbing his blue-gray eyes with one hand.

"I know you will probably hate me forever because of the events that occurred on Mustafar," Obi-Wan began. "I have nothing to say other than the fact that I'm sorry, and that I felt that the Force should decide your fate instead of myself. This has caused you pain, but know that you fulfilled the prophecy, thanks to me." Obi-Wan grinned, assuming that Anakin was somewhat cheerful.

Anakin said nothing, and stood up. He pointed one gloved finger at Obi-Wan and shouted, "I may have fulfilled the prophecy. I may have thought I deserved my injuries in life! But just know that how broken I was in life was increased because of what you did, and that I was trying to hold it in when I came. But that isn't the case now. You can't hide from the past forever, as I've learned before you. Someday, you're going to have to accept that you crippled me and made my life so much harder to life, even though you feel, even though I know, that you were doing the best you could. Everyone needs to understand what they did to the other people, me most of all…" Anakin broke down as he finished and started to weep.

Obi-Wan put a comforting arm on Anakin's shoulder, but Anakin shoved it away. "I'm leaving now. I'm starting to think that coming to Tatooine was a huge mistake."

As he opened the door to Luke's room, he saw his mother sitting next to Padmé. When Shmi saw her son in the room, she looked up at him, and then at Padmé. "You two need to talk," was all she said. And she was gone.

"Padmé…" Anakin began.

"Stop!" Padmé yelled. "You can't help me. It is something I'm dealing with alone."

"What's bothering you?" He asked and took Padmé's hand. "Please. Don't shut me out."

"Like you shut me out," Padmé growled, and sighed. "I heard you, in the other room. And now… I'm starting to wonder if… _us_ … will work."

Anakin coughed. "Don't tell me you regret it. I never will. There are so many things I regret, but that will never be one of them."

"I know we all acted strange when you came to me on Naboo. I was so determined to forget, and to just _love you_ , but here on Tatooine, seeing how little Luke had, I'm starting to feel so uncertain," Padmé sighed. "Please," she said, looking up at her husband. "Please understand."

Anakin pursed his lips. "I understand," he confirmed, but turned away. "I understand."

"Then you have to understand that I'm going through a personal crisis right now," she look up at him sadly. "I just can't… trust you anymore!"

Anakin had heard this garbage when they were alive, and didn't want to hear it now. "But Padmé, I trust you with my life!"

"That's completely correct," Padmé smiled coldly at him, remembering the irony of Anakin's words. "I trusted you with mine, too. But what happened afterwards?"

"Please don't get into this," Anakin said as his face hardened.

"Then are you a coward?" Padmé challenged. "Afraid to face your past? Afraid to remember all that you have done?"

"I'm not going to argue with you, Padmé, but-"

"No!" she yelled. "No! You are afraid!" She balled her hands into fists and started hitting his chest.

"Ow!" Anakin yelled, "YOU DON'T WANT TO PUNCH ME. I HAVE HAD SEVERE LUNG ISSUES FOR 23 YEARS. PLEASE. STOP."

Both of them stopped and looked at each other for a long time.

Padmé resumed a very senatorial tone when she suggested, "I believe that we should take a break then. We will still resume being together but I feel that until the time is right, we can't be so much of a married couple anymore."

Anakin had heard a similar statement during the Clone Wars, when Rush Clovis had come between them. "Please, Padmé…" he pleaded.

"No," she exhaled, her back turned to him. "Goodnight." She lay down on the cot, and Anakin next to her, backs touching each other but souls apart… for now.


	8. Love Poems and Tests

Anakin woke up that morning severely depressed.

"Hi Anakin," Padmé smiled at him as she woke up. Anakin wondered if she had suffered from memory loss or something, because he gave her a very skeptical look.

"Hi."

Padmé looked at him for a moment. "I know you're not happy with the… arrangements we made yesterday, but I hope you can still understand."

"I do," Anakin lied with a smile. "Don't worry." But inside he felt like throwing up. He said nothing to her as he woke up and spent the morning with his mother, doing chores around the farm. Obi-Wan knew what had transpired in the room last night, but he too mentioned nothing about it. In fact, he didn't talk to Anakin at all.

The two suns on Tatooine were high in the sky when Padmé was preparing to meet her friends at Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina and get her hair cut. Anakin was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Anakin?" Padmé asked Obi-Wan as they were preparing to leave. "We're going to be late!"

Obi-Wan reached deep into the Force, but he found no hints of Anakin's Force signature anywhere. "I'm sorry, Padmé," he told her, "I just can't seem to find his Force signature anywhere."

Padmé bit her lip, trying not to look worried. "Let's go, then," she told Obi-Wan. "I suppose Anakin will be at the Cantina when he needs to be."

Obi-Wan was very surprised by Padmé. Leave Anakin behind? Assume he'd be there on time? Obi-Wan understood the fight they'd had yesterday. He also understood Anakin yelling at him was simply a way to vent, but what he didn't understand was why Anakin was acting so sullen and why he wanted to hide his presence from Obi-Wan. Also, the way Padmé felt about her husband was starting to trouble him. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I… heard the fight you had last night. It doesn't seem right just to… walk away."

Padmé's eyebrows furrowed. "No. It is right. Let's just go."

Obi-Wan beckoned to the speeder. "As you wish, Milady."

When they reached the Cantina, Padmé was so excited to see Rabé and Cordé there. They'd all missed each other and embraced happily.

Cordé asked, "Where is Anakin Skywalker?"

Padmé frowned again. "I'm not completely sure. He was here yesterday, I saw him in the morning but when we're about to leave he completely disappeared. I apologize, but hopefully he will make it.

Padmé took a seat in the middle beside Rabé and across from Cordé.

She hadn't wanted to leave an empty seat for Anakin beside her, but Rabé had insisted, and so she listened to her friend's request. She looked at the poster next to her table. Looking closer at the Aurebesh letters, she gasped as she saw what the poster said.

 _Watto's die is red, the angel's dress is blue. I won the Podrace and my life as a slave is through._

 _Blood is red, the sky is blue. Through my battles I've learned that my master is you._

 _The flowers are red, the water is blue. I can't tell you how excited I am to discuss sand with you._

 _My arm is gone, the war isn't through. But I can't wait for my wedding with you._

 _The sky is red, my blade is blue. I broke your heart, but I can't believe I killed you._

 _Mustafar is red, Kenobi's eyes are blue. I'm not sure how I feel about how my limbs are brand new._

 _My blade is red, my eyes were blue. I wonder what happened to the Jedi I slew._

 _Fireworks are red, force ghosts are blue. I've saved the galaxy and can't wait to see you._

Padmé knew what these words referred to. Her husband. Anakin. Laughing softly at a few lines like the one about sand, she dropped her gaze down to the last line:

 _You may be dead, you may feel you're through. But never forget that Anakin loves you._

Obi-Wan laughed maniacally as he saw the last line, knowing how pathetic it was, and knowing how bad Anakin was at love lines. But Padmé was taking its meaning in a different way. She stared at the lines for a long time, her face portraying no emotion. And then, she burst into tears. Obi-Wan, Cordé, and Rabé paid no attention to her.

"I wonder how Anakin got that poster up there," Obi-Wan wondered.

"Maybe that's what he was doing when you were looking for him," a voice behind him said.

Obi-Wan twirled around. "Anakin?"

Anakin nodded. Then he looked at his wife, who locked eyes with him. Anakin gave her an embarrassed smile. Padmé smiled back in the same way.

"You'll have to try better than that, Anakin," she sighed.

Anakin bit his lip and frowned. "Sure. Okay. I'm sorry, I won't push you anymore. I won't. I understand now."

Rabé and Cordé, however, believed that Anakin's horrible poetry was extremely touching, and all of them glared at Padmé.

Obi-Wan was very angry at Padmé. The words were touching! Also, he believed Anakin knew what he had done to her. He also knew that Anakin hated himself because of what he had done. Therefore, he concluded that Padmé needed to give him a second chance. He opened his mouth to say something, but noticed that Anakin was gone. Again.

"Padmé," he began. "I don't think you understand how much he hates himself now. As a force ghost, I can tell you that I can name hundreds of situations where he hints that he misses you. I, for one, truly believe he is deserving of your love. Please, reconsider."

Padmé burst into tears again. "I didn't mean it to get this far!" she sighed. "I've ruined everything."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up. "What are you saying?"

Padmé looked at him, eyes full of sorrow. "It was all a test. I wanted to test him," she explained. "But, it's gone too far. I should never have done this." She ran outside. "Ani!"


	9. Together and Beyond

Padmé found Anakin outside the cantina, longish hair blowing about by the bustling on the street, hands on his hips and back facing to her.

"Anakin!" she shouted again.

He turned to her. His face was stony, his lips were hard, and his clear blue eyes were glossy. The tension between them was so thick you could feel it in the air.

"Anakin, I'm so sorry," Padmé pleaded. "This was all a test. I… I didn't trust you. I wanted to make sure the darkness was gone. But it went too far. I was so deep when I acted I became somewhat bitter. Please, Anakin, forgive me. I love your poem. And I love you."

Anakin stayed where he was. "So, because of what happened… you wanted to hurt me to make sure I had truly left the dark side behind? Don't you think, that because I'm here, maybe the Force already knows the answer?"

"I know that. I'm not force-sensitive. I don't know much about the Force. But I'm trying to tell you that I was wrong to do this to you. And I truly believe that you will complete your redemption." Padmé held out her hand. "Please, forgive me," she cried.

Anakin hesitated at her open hand, much like his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, had done when she was deciding whether she should leave the Jedi Order. But Anakin took his wife's hand and gave her a sad smile, and for a while they embraced, none of them noticing Obi-Wan's face pressed against the window with a comical expression. Unfortunately, they also kissed… and Obi-Wan did not want to see that. He grimaced, his face against the window and breath fogging up the glass.

"Finally," Obi-Wan whispered. "This trash is done. Finally, they can be one."

Anakin let go of Padmé, hearing Obi-Wan, and turned around to see his face smushed against the window, muttering cheesy lines that rhymed.

Padmé, hearing it too, started clapping. She whistled, and announced, "BEAUTIFUL lines. BEAUTIFUL." She looked around at everyone else around her on the streets, humans and non-humans alike cheering and clapping.

Anakin cheered and clapped. He looked at the Toydarian next to him. "Hilarious, isn't it," he said.

The Toydarian looked at him. "Uh, yessuh, very funny," the Toydarian replied.

Anakin stopped in his tracks, recognizing the way the blue Toydarian talked. _Blue?_ Anakin thought alarmingly. "Watto?" he asked.

"Yeah, uh, what?" Watto looked at him closely. "Little Ani!" he exclaimed. "I knew you'd make it back to Tatooine someday, eh?" Watto patted his yellow belly absentmindedly.

Anakin looked at him nervously. "Yeah, thanks Watto, nice to see you." Anakin grabbed Padmé's arm and they ran away from him and back into the cantina.

Obi-Wan was hiding his face in his hands, completely embarrassed. "Padmé, I really appreciate your consideration of my feelings," he told her.

Padmé smiled and looked at Anakin. Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. "And Obi-Wan, I truly appreciate you telling Padmé that she had gone too far. Seriously. Great friendship there."

Anakin noticed the corny poster on the wall. He grabbed it and handed it to Padmé. "Can't have us being hypocrites now, can we," he joked. Obi-Wan shot him a dirty look. Well, as dirty a look a middle-aged, bearded Jedi with a crisp Coruscanti accent can, which honestly isn't very dirty. It actually looked pretty pathetic.

Rabé and Cordé, watching this whole affair with grins on their faces, giggled loudly at Obi-Wan's face.

"They laugh when I'm old, laugh when I'm young," Obi-Wan sighed. "What more can I possibly do?"

Padmé and Anakin finished their business with Rabé and Cordé. Both Rabé and Cordé were very pleased with the man once known as the Hero With No Fear. No one mentioned his past as Darth Vader, and they said their pleasant goodbyes.

Anakin drove the speeder back to the moisture farm, on good terms with his wife and his best friend. This time, when he saw the moisture farm, he thought of it in a different light. Memories from his time as Darth Vader rushed back. He remembered when he had visited the property with Doctor Aphra, after discovering that Luke was his son. Anakin shook the memories away, but they were replaced by ones going even farther back in time… to when he had murdered an entire village of Tusken Raiders.

"Did anyone know that I murdered those Tusken Raiders?" He wondered aloud, but he forgot Obi-Wan was there.

"A few people knew. I knew, and Padmé knew," was Obi-Wan's reply from behind him. Padmé, however, did not reply, but she just put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Obi-Wan continued, "The Chancellor knew."

Anakin did not reply.

When they parked their speeder, Shmi was waiting for them with a particular question. "How much longer are you going to stay here, Ani?" she asked.

Anakin looked up sharply. "How much longer do you want us to stay here?"

Shmi told him softly, "It wouldn't matter. But you know you can visit us anytime." She studied her son's face. "It's your home, and it's your son's home. I feel that although you do not like the past, you'll make an effort to come here for me and for him."

Padmé smiled. "You truly do understand us, Shmi. Anakin's mom. Whatever you want me to call you."

Shmi thought for a moment and gasped. "Oh wow, I simply forgot that you two are married." She took Padmé's hand. "Shmi will do."

Anakin smiled at them. "Mom, I'm done deciding. I will come back, but not before staying with you just one more night."

Obi-Wan shouted, "I'm tired of being left out!"

Anakin's grin grew wider. "Of course you're tired, Obi-Wan. Looking young, but still being old… you can't do what you used to, can you?" He smirked.

Padmé laughed. "This never gets old."


	10. Tusken Raiders

Anakin's grin grew even wider. "This may not get old, but Obi-Wan sure does."

Obi-Wan fumed. "You used to do this to me, but I am not surprised that these jokes increased tenfold since, I, well… since our lives are over."

"Especially since you lived to be older than me. Hey, I'm being a good sport about this, aren't I?" Anakin joked again.

Padmé touched Anakin's arm. "Ani, I love these jokes, but save them for another time. We ought to head in for more delicious Bantha meat, don't you think?"

Anakin's eyes flitted to the horizon, where just beyond it lay the ruined Tusken camp. "I'll be right back."

Padmé looked to where Anakin was looking and gasped. "Oh no, Anakin, you can't," she cried. "You'll… go back to the dark…!"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "No way, Padmé. The man you see before you is someone desperate to make amends with his past. Going to the Tusken camp is just one way to do that."

Anakin looked at his wife pleadingly. "Let me go, Padmé. I feel as if what I did on that day sealed my fate, that it showed me that I would go to the dark side. Tragic as it is, I'm in the Light now, and I won't fall again. I just want to… seal my beliefs in the light side. Show myself what happens when you let your anger consume you."

Obi-Wan burst into laughter. "Let your anger consume you… You've become the perfect Jedi Master, haven't you Anakin!" He rubbed his bearded face with his hands. "Padmé, I'll go with him. Just to help him." He gave her a thumbs-up. "He will be A-OK!"

Anakin looked at his former enemy. "You're a good friend, Obi-Wan. A good friend. Now, that speeder bike looks fun to ride. Why don't we head on out?"

Obi-Wan grinned at his friend as he plopped into the speeder bike right beside Anakin's. "All systems go, Anakin Skyrider," he joked.

"So let's GOOOOOOOOOooooooooo…" Anakin and Obi-Wan shot off into the distance, their cry trailing off, leaving a very confused and disgruntled wife shaking her head at her husband's cheekiness. Padmé headed inside and grabbed some of the delicious Bantha meat and ate it on the sand, hoping her husband would return safe, sound, and sober.

They arrived at the Tusken Raider camp. Anakin tentatively stepped out of his speeder bike and looked down. And Anakin was completely confused at what he saw.

The Tusken Raiders were there! There were fires in the camp, and Anakin could smell the smoke, and he shivered because of his fear of fire. The Tusken Raiders were dancing with their families, riding their Banthas… they didn't seem to be at all the evil monsters that Anakin had slaughtered. Also, there were no prisoners that they tortured.

Anakin had met a Tusken Raider Jedi before, A'Sharad Hett, who lived by the way of the Tusken Raiders but was a human anyway. Anakin hoped that A'Sharad Hett had survived Order 66, and asked Obi-Wan about him.

"Oh… about that… yes he did. He went back to living as a Tusken Raider. Unfortunately he had no faith in the ways of the Jedi… I was forced to aggressively negotiate his hand off."

"WHAT?!" Anakin squawked. "You do know that losing a limb leads to the dark side, right?"

Obi-Wan gulped. "Oops. Although you would know that, wouldn't you?"

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and sighed. "I know you expect me to be angry about that with you, and I am, but there are these moments when I feel like I know why. Did you spare me because you felt that the Force should decide my fate?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Yes, but it was mostly because I wasn't feeling very merciless that day."

Anakin's eyebrows furrowed. "That's nice to know. But, at least I was alive. My mother taught me that life was precious. That was why we didn't run away… we would have died."

Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was referring to his life as a slave. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"It's all right now, I suppose. At least we're together again."

"But did that justify the Council, not letting you see your mother again?"

Anakin exploded in laughter. "The COUNCIL. I don't want to hear about the bloody COUNCIL again! Man, they caused too many problems in life, I am hoping they are not so stupid as to do that now."

Obi-Wan was concerned about Anakin's hatred for the Council. "Don't let your hate consume you, Anakin. Unfortunately, the Council does have authority now. But you're part of it. So if you hate the Council, then you hate yourself."

"Don't let your hate consume you. Are you the one who teased me about saying something like that earlier? Also, I'm fine with the Council now. It was the COUNCIL that I hated."

"What's the difference between the Council and the COUNCIL?"

"The Council is the one that serves the Afterlife Republic. The COUNCIL is the one that was there when I, well, turned."

"Goodness. Well, I suppose that you are just in hating the COUNCIL, but not the Council. Oh well, I guess my issues are cleared."

Anakin looked down at the dancing Tusken Raiders, and gave them a wave. The Tuskens waved back. "I'm sorry!" Anakin shouted, letting his voice echo throughout the canyon.

One of the Tuskens nodded at him.

Obi-Wan looked at his former apprentice. "I'm very proud of you, Anakin. You're getting past your past. You're becoming a wonderful Jedi, and I am very proud of you. You know I'm proud of you, right? That's because I'm proud of you. I wish that I could have told you that I was proud of you before I died."

Anakin grinned. "You said that once before, remember? Before you left for GG. General Grievous."

Obi-Wan sighed. "That was our last goodbye before you turned evil. I would advise you never to mention that day again, ever. Okay?"


	11. Dramatic Music

Anakin said, "Okay." For a while they stood there, just overlooking the Tusken Raider camp. Since the Tusken Raiders knew that the angry ghost was just a Jedi dude looking for revenge, they stopped torturing people and taking prisoners. When they were done staring at the camp, Anakin asked, "Are we heading back then, Master?"

Obi-Wan grinned widely. "Hey! You called me Master! Does this mean that we're on good terms again? Good terms again forever?"

Anakin grimaced and thought for a moment. They hadn't really talked about Mustafar, but Anakin figured it wouldn't hurt to do so later. After all, revenge was not the Jedi way. Anakin grimaced again, remembering that he'd said "Revenge is not the Jedi way" to Ahsoka once when they'd fought. So, Anakin decided that he'd give Obi-Wan a chance. "Okay, Obi-Wan. Good terms again for now."

Obi-Wan looked at his former apprentice. "You are my brother Anakin! I love you!"

Anakin looked shocked. "Uh…"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Reference to Mustafar. Anyway…" Anakin was still looking at him with a very shocked expression. "Oh!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Anakin, I don't love you like _that_."

Anakin exhaled deeply. "Phew. Now, let's go. Sheesh, Master. You really had me worried."

"Let's head out then," Obi-Wan told Anakin, "And you called me Master again. I think you should get used to calling me Obi-Wan."

Anakin corrected himself. "Obi-Wan." And so, the two friends got on their speeder bikes and headed all the way back to the moisture farm. When they got there, they saw Padmé talking with Rabé. Padmé's hair was better now. It was just as it used to be when Anakin turned to the dark side, and Anakin loved this style.

"Padmé, Rabé," Anakin greeted the two women. "I'm so glad you finally got your hair cut. Thank you Rabé, now we won't have to be accompanied by Padmé's huge, annoying halo of hair anymore. You've done us a great favor."

Padmé glared at her husband when Anakin mentioned how annoying her hair was, but she realized that she liked having less hair too. But, Anakin _was_ being a hypocrite because, well, he'd grown out his hair during the Clone Wars. As soon as he was knighted, he'd let it grow longer until it was about shoulder length. And although Padmé loved that hairstyle, she felt like teasing him. "Ani, you're such a hypocrite. Look at your own hair!"

Anakin grinned. "Well, you like it this way. I don't like the hairstyle you had before you got it cut today."

Padmé smiled. "It's only because that was my funeral hair."

Anakin was still a bit uneasy about the whole killing Padmé thing, but Padmé had forgiven him, hadn't she? But Anakin still couldn't let go. "Please don't mention it like that. I, ah, don't like to talk about it."

Rabé looked at the couple curiously, as if she hadn't known what had happened to them when they were alive, but she didn't mention anything, to their relief.

"Well," Rabé said, "I'd better get going. I want to get off of this dust heap and head back to Naboo with Cordé."

Anakin could totally understand what Rabé meant. His own childhood on Tatooine wasn't that great… well, except for his mother. "I can definitely understand your frustration with this terrible planet, Rabé, and I wish you luck."

The two Tatooine suns were starting to set, and Anakin climbed up to where the sand rose a little, like a huge pedestal, where Luke had stood in real life, and stared at them. Dramatic music started to play, and Anakin was startled. "What's goin' on?" He shrugged and looked back at the suns with a solemn expression. The music got louder and more dramatic. When Anakin stepped back to where Padmé was standing, the music stopped.

"What was that?" He asked fearfully.

Padmé had been completely confused when the music played, but she had no idea. "Maybe Luke had stood there before in some important moment of his lifetime," she suggested, "Perhaps the music was delivered by the Force."

Anakin looked at his wise wife. "Good theory. Well, let's look at the sunset now. I keep forgetting how beautiful it is. I used to watch the suns set and dream about visiting every planet in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan appeared behind them. "And in a way, you did."

For a few moments, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé just stood there looking at the sunset and the dramatic music got so loud they had to cover their ears.

Shmi appeared behind them. "It's always nice to have people looking at the sunset on our 'Luke Spot' as we call it. But enough of the drama. Ani, Padmé, Obi-Wan, head inside, shall we?"

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other with a very excited and happy expression. Luke Spot? They'd stood where their son had stood. They wanted every memory of him that they could find.

Shmi, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan headed inside and went to the bedrooms they'd took while visiting. Anakin felt that this would be the last night they'd stay on Tatooine, for now. But he had a feeling that he'd come back.

"How come we never talk about Leia?" Anakin asked his wife as they sat on their bed together. "She's our daughter."

Padmé resumed yet another of those expressions she had if she was mildly angry at Anakin. "I don't know. Maybe it's because you tortured her on the Death Star?"

Anakin looked hurt. "I had no idea she was our daughter. I don't know how I didn't know. I just wish… I'd recognized her when I saw her. How could I not be reminded of you? How could I?" He looked down, ashamed. "I only hope that Luke told her that he was right, and that there was good in me. It always hurts to know that you believed there was good in me even when I was Darth Vader, as well as Luke, but I didn't even believe it. I hope you'll understand."

Padmé looked at her husband comfortingly. "I understand."


	12. Hologram Greetings

The next morning, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan said their goodbyes to the Tatooine moisture farmers.

"Bye," Anakin hugged his mother. "I'm so glad I saw you again."

Shmi looked upon her son lovingly. "Though you did somewhat evil things during your life, it is my belief that you have redeemed yourself. Goodbye, Ani."

Padmé and Obi-Wan, on their way to the speeder where Owen and Beru were there to take them back to the Naboo star skiff, waved for Anakin to hurry along and join them. Anakin ran to them, looking back at his mother as he did so.

"Don't look back!" Shmi reminded her son.

When Anakin reached the speeder, Obi-Wan looked over at his friend. "Anakin, what were you doing back there? Jedi do not form attachments…"

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan, confused. "I have all sorts of attachments. My mother, Padmé, my children, you… do you really need me to go on?"

Obi-Wan gulped nervously. How was he going to tell Anakin the truth? "Well, that was a mistake. Actually, the Council believes in attachments now, for some reason, but most Jedi don't form attachments, but it's not against the rules anymore as long as you stay in the light side. But it's mostly because you can't lose your attachments because the people you love can't die anymore."

Anakin looked like a smile had been slapped onto his face, and the smile grew wider and wider. "You decided to hide this from me?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes."

It didn't seem possible, but Anakin's smile grew even wider! "Obi-Wan!" he reprimanded his former master jokingly. "A Jedi does not decieve others because of their selfish needs!"

Obi-Wan, completely embarrassed, shrugged. "That's a new one."

Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan had all reached the Naboo star skiff with Owen and Beru once Obi-Wan's banter with his friend had finished. Anakin waved to his former victims and they waved back. "Bye!" Anakin called.

Anakin, as always, piloted the ship through space. Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Anakin had some breakfast fruits for breakfast when their ship was in hyperspace. Nothing really happened until they converted back to realspace upon reaching Coruscant, when they saw a Corellian freighter convert to realspace right next to them.

Anakin squinted at the freighter. "Is that a CR70 corvette? No wait, it's not. Let's hail them on our com channel."

A hologram of a long-haired bearded guy in robes appeared in hologram. "Who's this?" the guy said. "Oh. Anakin Skywalker…?" His voice trailed off.

Anakin exclaimed, "How do you know me?"

The man regarded him. "Do you not remember me, Skywalker? My name is Roan Shryne," the man introduced himself. "I recall that it was you who brought me back to the Force," he added sarcastically.

Anakin bit his lip. Roan Shryne was a Jedi that he had killed on a mission to Kashyyyk a few weeks after being put in the suit. He'd revealed to Shryne his former identity before Shryne had died, Shryne having foreseen the events of his death.

"Hello, Master Shryne," Anakin told the man, having nothing else to say. "I'm… sorry about the events on Kashyyyk."

Shryne shrugged. "See, I told you that the Force will never die. You realize that the Force is the reason we're all in this afterlife place, right?"

Anakin laughed. "The Sith spend so much time trying to find out how to live on after death, they have no idea that living on after death happens to you when you _don't_ try to find out how."

Shryne chuckled a bit, but then stopped himself. "You're not here to somehow destroy me, are you Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan and Padmé correctly deduced that Anakin had killed this man, and so they said not one word, as they both wanted Anakin to reconcile with Shryne.

Anakin was surprised about Shryne chuckling, as in life Shryne was a mostly pessimistic Jedi. But he decided not to make a big deal about it. "Of course not, Roan. You did not see the events above Endor?"

Shryne looked at Anakin, trying to decipher whether he was being genuine. "Well, yes I did. Also, you know how I told you I had foreseen my death? It was actually the events on and above Endor. So, yes I did."

Anakin opened his mouth to apologize, but Shryne interrupted him. "You don't need to say sorry about it. I already know. Also… we're headed to Coruscant, so why don't we land and meet at the Jedi Temple?"

Anakin opened his mouth to say something again, but Shryne had ended the transmission. He looked at Obi-Wan, who shrugged.

Padmé looked fairly uneasy about the events that had just transpired. "Was he… one of your victims, Anakin?"

Anakin gulped. "Yes. Please don't be mad."

Padmé touched her husband's shoulder. "I'm not mad, I'm just trying to find out who the man was. Let's enter the atmosphere, shall we?" And so, that was exactly what they did.

When they landed on Coruscant, Obi-Wan looked over at Anakin. "Did you know that Roan had lost two Padawan learners during the war?"

"Yep. I found out about that when Sidious requested something of me."

Obi-Wan frowned. "You know that you were more or less a slave to the Sith, right Anakin?" he inquired.

"Yeah, I knew. Sidious always asked me to do these weird things. He wanted to rub my masked face in everything I had done by sending me to the Jedi Temple shortly after Order 66. You do _not_ want to know how much I freaked out."

Padmé grimaced. "No, we don't."


	13. Meeting at the Refectory

Padmé offered to stay home and nap while Anakin took Obi-Wan to the Jedi Temple to meet Shryne there. Anakin agreed, though he thought Padmé wanted to stay home because she didn't want to be involved with Anakin and how he had treated the Jedi.

Anakin still did not follow the law where speeder safety was concerned, so he took Obi-Wan on one very bumpy joyride indeed. His master maneuvering landed the speeder on the Jedi Temple's landing platform. Gate Master Jurokk was standing there when Anakin and Obi-Wan headed over to him. Anakin was very, very uneasy because Jurokk was the first person he had slain during the Jedi Temple incident.

Jurokk's bald head turned to regard Anakin and Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, Anakin," he acknowledged them. His face portrayed no emotion.

Anakin shied away from Jurokk. "Hello, Jurokk," he said tentatively.

Jurokk, again, did not display any emotion. "See you around," he told them with a smile plastered on his face. Anakin and Obi-Wan passed him and headed inside to the main hall, then went through a series of turns and complicated directions to get to Obi-Wan's quarters.

Anakin, frowning, asked Obi-Wan without preamble, "He didn't say anything about… you know?"

Obi-Wan frowned too. "I suppose he's just not ready yet, then. And neither are you."

"I suppose so," Anakin agreed. "I've never been someone who likes to talk about my past. I never even told _Ahsoka_ anything about it." Realizing what he'd just observed, he begged Obi-Wan, "Let's please not talk about Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan shook a finger at him. "Fear and denial leads to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate- leads to suffering," he intoned.

Anakin groaned. "Can we please just head over to one of the refectories now and meet Shryne? We're wasting our time sitting here and arguing about whether thinking about the past is good for me, when it's pretty obvious that it is not."

Obi-Wan led Anakin out of his quarters, and they took another confusing set of turns to head to the refectory on Obi-Wan's level. It had been a very long while since Anakin had been in the Jedi Temple refectories, and so the entirety of it bothered him a lot. Long, populated tables were flanked by benches with holodisplays along the walls, showing the new arrivals and news of the Afterlife Republic. It was completely different from the way he had eaten as Darth Vader. Jedi everywhere were bustling about.

Obi-Wan felt Shryne's presence on a table on the far side of the refectory. Anakin and Obi-Wan lined up and walked through, selecting their food as serving droids served it to them. Anakin grimaced as one of the droids dumped a hunk of… something that looked like a breadroot patty, while Obi-Wan had a cup of glop that looked like a Shrimpi cup. They headed over to the drink section and Anakin got a glass of ruby bliel, a childhood favorite drink of his. The drink was popular on Tatooine but Anakin was excited to find that it had finally made the menus on Coruscant. He and Obi-Wan went over to the far side of the refectory, where Shryne was sitting. Unfortunately, by that time other Jedi had recognized Anakin.

Jedi were very respectful people, so they did not point fingers at the man responsible for wiping them out, but they stared at him anyway as he passed through the crowds. Anakin was extremely embarrassed, his face reddened but he did not say a word. Obi-Wan, who was as loyal of a friend as ever, quickly dragged Anakin over to Shryne's table.

"Hilarious," Shryne declared to the two embarrassed buddies in more or less of a monotone. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan grimaced as they dug into their food.

"So, artificial limbs and body armor seemed to be a curious choice for the Sith, the last time I saw you," Shryne began.

Anakin sighed, taking a sip of the ruby bliel. He welcomed the delicious taste, as when he was Darth Vader he could barely eat solid food, and mostly relied on intravenous fluids to get his nutrients. "Let's just say Obi-Wan cut off my limbs on a lava planet and left me to burn there," he muttered, and looked at Obi-Wan. "Don't take it personally, Master."

Obi-Wan threw his hands up. "Anakin, why do you always call me 'Master'? I'm not your Master and my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

Shryne watched the bickering men as they went on and on and on. He sighed like the pessimistic man he was and dug into his "Fambaa Delight". When they were done a few minutes later, he grumbled, "So how did you eat, Anakin?"

Anakin looked all too happy to explain his horrible life as Darth Vader. Brightening, he explained, "It was hard. I could only eat solid food in my meditation chamber, and even then it was just really difficult. Most of the time I had to be nourished through tasteless fluids. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to truly eat food again. You see, even imperials without eating difficulties were persuaded to drink nourishments without eating food, too."

Obi-Wan remarked, "Sounds like the imperials weren't as good as you thought them to be, Anakin. Sounds like the Empire was fairly… cruel to its citizens."

Anakin smiled. "You know us all too well, for a man who lived in the Jundland Wastes for 19 years, watching over a boy whose father was not dead."

Shryne leaned forward. "You do realize that I'm not going to eat with you morons anytime soon after this arguing, but I guess I have to pull through now."

Anakin's eyebrows raised as he thought of something. "Oh, Roan, I forgot to say something: I am sorry for killing you. I wanted to seal my faith in the dark side, and it was you who helped me do that. But at least you weren't the twenty-first Jedi to leave the Order like I was. Again, I'm sorry." Anakin held out his hand for Shryne to shake it.

Shryne shook the young man's hand. "Apology accepted, for now. But did you know that Olee Starstone was mad at me for withdrawing from the Force? She considered me to be the twenty-first, not you."

Anakin growled jokingly, "Yeah Roan, don't steal my rightful place."

Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Roan Shryne dug again into their droid-made meals. They stopped and looked up in shock when a long-haired, aging man said, "It seems that I was right about the Chosen One after all. Hello, Anakin."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Who is this mystery man that randomly appeared near Anakin's table? You can get a little hint if you check out my profile page. I'll be sure to update in at most a few days, and I'll also make sure that Padmé isn't out of the action for too long! I_ _f you could review I would really appreciate it, it really fuels my excitement for writing in knowing that people are enjoying my stories._ _So thanks for reading and have a great day!_


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